Reweigh Maneuver for Accurate Payload Mass Estimation

A system comprising a processor configured to perform operations comprising:

• causing an aerial vehicle to retract, to within a first distance of the aerial vehicle, a payload that is coupled to the aerial vehicle by a tether;
• causing the aerial vehicle to lower the payload from the aerial vehicle by at least a second distance;
• obtaining data indicative of a force applied to the tether by the payload while the payload is lowered from the aerial vehicle;
• determining a mass of the payload based on the data indicative of the force applied to the tether by the payload;
• determining, based on the mass of the payload, a maneuver to be performed with the payload by the aerial vehicle;
• and
• causing the aerial vehicle to perform the maneuver.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

• causing an aerial vehicle to retract, to within a first distance of the aerial vehicle, a payload that is coupled to the aerial vehicle by a tether;
• causing the aerial vehicle to lower the payload from the aerial vehicle by at least a second distance;
• obtaining data indicative of a force applied to the tether by the payload while the payload is lowered from the aerial vehicle;
• determining a mass of the payload based on the data indicative of the force applied to the tether by the payload;
• determining, based on the mass of the payload, a maneuver to be performed with the payload by the aerial vehicle;
• and
• causing the aerial vehicle to perform the maneuver.